How do you simplify 2[-4+3(-7+4)] using PEMDAS?

2 Answers

Start with the innermost bracket and work out to get -26

Explanation:

PEDMAS refers to the order in which we solve an equation:

Parentheses (I tend to call them Brackets)
Exponentials
Multiplication
Division
Addition
Subtraction

Let's start with the original:

2[-4+3(-7+4)]

So we have 2 times a big bracket and within that bracket there is 3 times a smaller bracket. Since we do brackets first and the innermost brackets:

2[-4+3(-3)]

We can multiply the 3 by the result of the small bracket (-3):

2[-4-9]

-4-9 is inside the big bracket, so let's do that:

2[-13]

-26

Aug 1, 2016

-26

Explanation:

There is only one term, but there are 2 terms inside the square bracket. Work from the inner bracket.

2[color(blue)(-4)+3color(red)((-7+4))]

=2[color(blue)(-4)+3color(red)((-3))]

=2[color(blue)(-4)-color(red)9]

=2 xx (-13)

=-26